The first three months as a manager set the tone for the next three years. Not because you have to get everything right, but because your team is watching to see what kind of manager you’ll be.
Here is what I tell every new manager I work with.
Week one: have one conversation with everyone
Book thirty minutes with each person on your team. Ask three questions: What’s going well? What’s getting in your way? What should I know about how you like to work?
Then listen. Take notes. Don’t fix anything yet.
Your job in the first month is to understand, not to prove yourself.
Month one: stop doing your old job
This is the hardest part. You were promoted because you were good at the work, so the work is where you feel safe. But every hour you spend doing it is an hour your team doesn’t learn to.
- Write down everything you did in your old role.
- Decide who takes each thing, and when.
- Hand it over with context, not just a task.
Months two and three: build a rhythm
Set up weekly one-to-ones, a short team meeting and one written update. Keep them boring and regular. A predictable manager is a trusted manager.
By day ninety you should be able to go on holiday for a week without your phone. If you can’t, that’s what we work on next.